ViewFinder Photography Forum

General discussion - our photography living room. Talk about aesthetics, philosophy, share your photos - get inspired by your peers! Moderated by another view and walterick.
ViewFinder Forum Guidelines >>
Introduce Yourself! >>
PhotographREVIEW.com Gatherings and Photo Field Trips >>
Results 1 to 6 of 6
  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    8

    party photogrpahy

    Hi,

    Next weekend I'm asked to do a shoot on a party. Not the average birthday party. It will be more like a lokal club party.

    Do some of you have some usefull hints to get things right?

    Thanks,

    Wouter.
    Nikon D50, Sigma 18-50 EX DC, Sigma 28-70 EX DG, Sigma 70-200 EX DG, Nikon SB600

  2. #2
    Moderator of Critiques/Hearder of Cats mtbbrian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Utah
    Posts
    3,972

    Re: party photogrpahy

    First suggestion:
    Have fun.
    Second suggestion:
    Make your photographs fun.
    Do that by using longer shutter speeds and rear curtain synch with that SB 600.
    Third suggestion:
    Refer to the first.
    Good luck!
    Brian
    My "Personal" Photography Website...
    高手
    My Moderator Bio Page...
    Nikon Samurai #2 - Emeritus
    See more of my photography here...

    “A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed, and is, thereby, a true manifestation of what one feels about life in its entirety...” - Ansel Adams

    "Photography Is An Act Of Life" - Maine 2006

  3. #3
    Jim B. jbaldocchi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Oakland, CA
    Posts
    759

    Re: party photogrpahy

    Learn to use a bounce flash with your camera.

    Jim B.
    Too bad all the people who know how to run this country are busy running taxicabs or cutting hair.

    George Burns

  4. #4
    Be serious Franglais's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Paris, France
    Posts
    3,367

    Re: party photography

    Quote Originally Posted by wouterdhoye
    Hi,

    Next weekend I'm asked to do a shoot on a party. Not the average birthday party. It will be more like a lokal club party.

    Do some of you have some usefull hints to get things right?

    Thanks,

    Wouter.
    By "local club party" I guess you mean people dancing? This is one of my favourite subjects! Of course I like to dance too which helps, and that is the secret. I'm right in there in the middle of it. In your case I would use the D50 with the lens set to about 24mm and the SB600 set head-on, camera set to 400 ISO. I hunt about for interesting people or groups and when I see something that pleases me I move to normal person-to-person distance (between 4 and 6 feet) and go "Hi Hey" or something so they all look at me and go Wow and that's when I take the picture.

    If it's dark - as it usually is in clubs - the camera is going to start using the infra-red beam on the flash and hunting for focus, which means it won't fire immediately. In these cases I turn off the autofocus and preset the lens focus to 5 feet, use aperture priority f11 and just shoot. Usually the TTL flash gets the exposure about right. Shoot a lot..

    Charles

  5. #5
    Member steelerdirtfreak's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Mercer, PA, USA
    Posts
    166

    Re: party photogrpahy

    Quote Originally Posted by mtbbrian

    Second suggestion:
    Make your photographs fun.
    Do that by using longer shutter speeds and rear curtain synch with that SB 600.
    What is rear curtain synch? How do you use it, and what does it do?

  6. #6
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    8

    Re: party photogrpahy

    Quote Originally Posted by steelerdirtfreak
    What is rear curtain synch? How do you use it, and what does it do?
    Rear curtain sync is letting the flash go of just before closing the shutter. Instead of the ususal first curtain sync where the flash is triggered right after opening the shutter. Refer to your camera and flash manuals on how to use it. It's most used to caputure motion using long exposures. The motion gives a slight blur during the exposure but by flashing at the end you still freeze your subject well enough. When properly used it can give quite stunning results. It's used a lot for shooting cars in motion at night. The lights of the car give sreaks that show the motion. The flash lights up and freezes the car.

    Wouter.

    P.S. Thanks for the replies!
    Nikon D50, Sigma 18-50 EX DC, Sigma 28-70 EX DG, Sigma 70-200 EX DG, Nikon SB600

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •